Do you check tradesmen's insurance?

[chinita]

Surveyors come in for a hard time over insurance. YBDSA insists on their members having Professional Indemnity Insurance (carrying a 6 year Statute of Limitation) and yards/marinas may want Public Liability Insurance.

What about other 'one man band' tradesmen - mechanics, electricians, riggers etc?

What if your mate recommended 'Jim, the Rigger' and next time you were at sea your backstay parted from the deck fitting? Or, 'Mick, the mechanic' starts your engine forgets to open the intake seacock as he was distracted by his mobile phone ringing?

Do you ask these guys about insurance, or do you rely on your own boat insurance to cough up if it hits the fan?

 

[sailorman]

when a sole trader i always had P L ins

 

[Lakesailor]

Do you believe them when they say they are insured?

 

[chinita]

I am asking whether people ask in the first place.

 

[sailorman]

I am asking whether people ask in the first place.

read some of the MoBo insurance threads.
jfm mentioned employing contractors & ins cover

 

[oldsaltoz]

I have a $20, 000,000.00 policy and you might be amazed to hear I was only asked twice last year, and only once the year before that.

Could this mean that people are now becoming more aware. FOCL.

Good luck and fair winds.

 

[Lakesailor]

I am asking whether people ask in the first place.

I didn't say you weren't.
What I am asking is do you believe their answer?

 

[Coaster]

No.

I've never asked for details of a tradesman's insurances.

I'm not at all sure what perils would be relevant.

 

[sailorman]

No.

I've never asked for details of a tradesman's insurances.

I'm not at all sure what perils would be relevant.

What if he sinks your vessel & he isnt insured

 

[Seajet]

When I was doing emergency plumbing I volunteered the fact I was insured, and the company - some people worry about it but are too shy to ask, which they should.

OTOH, SWMBO has a gardener come along once a week, when it was the height of the storms the other week I asked her ' where's Peter ? ' - she'd sent him to the top of the garden among some seriously big trees inc a Redwood; I said in my best Dad's Army tone ' do you think that's awfully wise, what if he gets hit by a falling branch ? '

The reply was ' Oh he told me he's insured ' - It struck me that it's her who might need the insurance, but she's from the background where servants who let themselves get maimed or killed had their wages docked...

 

[chinita]

I didn't say you weren't.
What I am asking is do you believe their answer?

I have never asked. I am asking if anybody else has asked. Have you asked? I ask you!

 

[Lakesailor]

I do if there is a chance of some damage to my property.
I tendered for a job last year, which I got. Part of the requirements where insurance, just to take pictures. Having said that some of the properties were multi-million pound spots and a bit of carelessness on my part could have been very embarrassing.

I used to have 3rd party liability when I had a studio and arranged Goods In Trust for specific jobs, as it was rather expensive.

 

[mikemanor]

My marina is assiduous in checking contractor/tradesmen's insurance and work method statements. I only use people on the marina's list of checked tradesmen - a requirement of the mooring agreement. I don't know whether I would have any comeback through the marina if anything went wrong but I sleep at night

 

[Seajet]

I know someone thinking of setting up a sailing school; it seems to come down to ' qualifications of instructors are up to you, but insurance in case a customer falls over and breaks their arse is a really serious consideration now "

 

[Coaster]

What if he sinks your vessel & he isnt insured

I suppose the same as most other causes of a boat being sunk - my own insurance would cover the matter. Whether or not my insurer chose to take action against someone partly or wholly responsible is not something that would involve me directly.

 

[PhillM]

My marina is assiduous in checking contractor/tradesmen's insurance and work method statements. I only use people on the marina's list of checked tradesmen - a requirement of the mooring agreement. I don't know whether I would have any comeback through the marina if anything went wrong but I sleep at night

+1 very important IMHO

 

[Hadenough]

All very well asking but I'd expect to see a copy of the policy and always ask for same with the written estimate. Having said that why are marine tradesmen so tetchy about giving written estimates?

 

[David2452]

I have never been asked for mine except by marinas and commercial vessel operators, same with qualifications.

 

[Hadenough]

Yes well, I worked in construction. No one on site without CSCS card, don't start a job without a risk assessment, method statement, hot works policy, ladi, ladi da! Not condoning it but just wait! But back to the OP, I don't think it's unreasonable to provide proof of insurance and in fact could be a good sales ploy. Just can't understand why so many (most) marine contractors are so reluctant to give a written quote.

 

[lpdsn]

Does it really matter. If it is anything like any PI insurance I've ever had, it is not whether they are insured when they do the job but whether they are insured when you make a claim.

So you could check, find they have perfectly valid insurance, but when the rig comes down 18 months later find they've since made a career change and allowed their PI to lapse.